An Israeli military analyst has described the battlefield situation in the Gaza Strip after 21 months of Israeli war, confirming that the Hamas movement is recovering and rapidly rebuilding its military capacity.
Ron Ben-Yishai, a military analyst for the Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, wrote: “The soldiers lie on the scorching sand, trying not to stand out on the horizon, because directly beneath them lie the eastern homes of the Shuja’iya, Al-Daraj, and Al-Tuffah neighborhoods — or what remains of them. The waves of rubble offer perfect cover for Hamas snipers who may still be hiding in the area. Any unnecessary movement beyond the earthen berm surrounding the site could be costly, even though temperatures in Gaza have exceeded 35 degrees Celsius.”
Ben-Yishai, reporting from Gaza in a field analysis added that “the hill chain, 70 meters above sea level, forms a natural barrier between the north and center of Gaza and the surrounding settlements just two kilometers to the east. Whoever controls these hills controls observation and fire in both directions. For this reason, one of the first steps the army took was to establish seven posts along the border, now forming the front defensive line in the encirclement operation, alongside forward positions near the security fence, creating a second defensive line.”
He explained: “When the army’s forces stormed Gaza three weeks after the Al-Aqsa Flood attack, they crossed the mountain ridge and continued with a wave of maneuvers aimed at dismantling Hamas formations through repeated raids, without staying in the area. The result is that the movement was able to operate again as a decentralized guerrilla force. Therefore, in the second wave of maneuvers, which began a few months ago, the Southern Command decided to retain the territory it captured.”
Ben-Yishai revealed that “Hamas has not only launched attacks from inside Gaza at the surrounding settlements but has also dug kilometers of underground tunnels. In the 2014 war, it captured the body of Golani Brigade soldier Oron Shaul. The new sites established by the Southern Command, under the direction of its commander Yaniv Asur and with the approval of Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, reflect ongoing activity.”
He described how “Commando soldiers operate various drones: surveillance, kamikaze, and attack drones. The place now resembles a mini-airport, with drones taking off and landing constantly, integrated with air force and artillery units to destroy targets from the air or through gathered intelligence.”
One officer told him that “Hamas feels the war is nearing its end and is massing its forces for a final attempt to inflict casualties on the army, which currently maintains operational control over 65% of Gaza — areas where it keeps surveillance and firing control, relative freedom of movement, and systematic destruction of tunnels. It also controls a one-kilometer-wide security belt along the border and two major pockets: one in the south between Khan Younis and Rafah, and the other in the north facing Sderot and near Netivot.”
Severe Army Losses
Ben-Yishai disclosed that “five military divisions are operating across Gaza from south to north: the 143rd, 36th, 98th, 162nd, and 99th divisions. The ground clashes disrupt any pre-planned strategies, mainly because the army relies almost entirely on regular brigades with minimal reserve forces to reduce attrition. However, even regular units are facing exhaustion, with many soldiers engaged in continuous combat for more than a year and a half.”
A reserve company commander told him: “What frustrates me most is coming home and hearing my friends say we’re floundering in Gaza. They don’t understand that if we stop, Hamas will recover. On the ground, the fighting never stops — you hear machine gun fire and explosions in the neighborhoods. Senior commanders acknowledge that the operation is advancing slowly for two main reasons: the strict protection of the hostages’ lives, which requires cautious moves and continuous intelligence gathering, and the need to avoid massive casualties, especially after 22 soldiers were killed in June alone.”
He added: “The army’s ground effort combines unique techniques: massive explosive charges to disrupt cameras and booby traps, excavation to locate and destroy tunnels, and other methods that remain classified. In some cases, forces refrain from destroying tunnels for fear that hostages may be inside. This limitation, along with the need to avoid harming them, necessitates slow, precise actions — even at the cost of striking operational targets immediately.”
Hamas Rebuilding from the Rubble
Ben-Yishai quoted Southern Command leader Yaniv Asur, who said: “So far, two and a half out of Hamas’s five brigades have been dismantled. But if a new hostage deal is signed and the army withdraws, Hamas will recover, disperse its forces among the civilian areas, return to Jabalia, Beit Hanoun, and Shuja’iya, and find weapons caches waiting for them — IEDs, RPG launchers, protective vests, cameras, and piles of military gear. They’re rebuilding from the rubble. The speed at which they re-established themselves after the second truce worries us greatly.”
He warned against the illusion of eliminating Hamas entirely, adding: “The movement has appointed new leaders to replace those assassinated and field commanders have been replaced. The lack of experience among replacements does not pose a significant weakness — guerrilla warfare does not require deep military knowledge. Their main advantage comes from the tunnel network, most of which remains intact after the first wave of maneuvers.”
He confirmed: “Despite the destruction of strategic tunnels and infiltration routes, the small combat tunnels and shafts connecting them to the surface have survived. This allows Hamas fighters to live with their families in certain areas, then, when ordered, slip underground, emerge into combat zones, launch attacks, and return to daily life.”
He concluded his report by saying that after an extensive tour in Gaza and conversations with senior army commanders, “It is clear that Hamas is at its lowest military and governmental level since its establishment. It no longer operates as an organized fighting force but as a guerrilla organization with partial ground control. At the same time, there is no room for illusions — if it is not fully disarmed and its infrastructure dismantled, it will re-emerge and pose a major threat again within a few years.”
